Biography
Mac Blackout (Mark Dunihue McKenzie) is an American visual artist and musician born in Indiana, now based in Chicago. McKenzie attended the Heron School of Art in Indianapolis where he graduated with a BFA. In the early stages of his career he became well known as an underground street artist and this influence can still be seen in his work today.
Mac is a muralist and multimedia artist creating large scale public works with a studio focus in painting, drawing, sculpture and mixed media art. Rebellious, loud and unapologetic are words that come to mind when in the presence of his work, characteristics that are no doubt influenced by the artist’s extensive musical background. The founding member of The Functional Blackouts, Daily Void, Mickey, New Rose Alliance, Armageddon Experimental Band, and MBB (Mac Blackout Band), Mac is also known as a prolific solo recording artist.
His musical projects have been released by prominent independent recording labels, with records from experimental improvisations to lo fi punk and glam rock anthems that do not fit neatly into any discernible genre. Such unrestricted style permeates into his visual art where McKenzies audible creativity is channelled into music related art, an interdisciplinary pursuit with dramatic effect.
Mac’s aritistic experience is vast and impressive. His visual artistic endeavours have seen him create countless murals across Chicago for various streets, shops and venues and designed album covers to represent his musical interests as well as being represented by galleries is the U.S and Australia.
Education
Indiana University, Herron School of Art, BFA, 1999
Solo Exhibitions
2019 Cosmic Pop, Galerie F, Chicago
2019 Starbucks Reserve Community Capsule Collection, Chicago
2018 Mac Blackout 2018 Solo Show, Uncle Art, Chicago
2018 Geometric Giants, Feed Arts & Cultural Center, Kankakee
2017 Madman’s Eye, Galerie F, Chicago
2017 Rise of The Geometric Giants, Ampersand, Chicago
2016 Mac Blackout S/T solo exhibition, Uncle Art Gallery, Chicago
2015 Mac Blackout S/T solo exhibition, Continental, Chicago
2014 Nightmares and Pretty Things, Chicago Public Library, Chicago
Selected Group Exhibitions
2020 Everything But The Kitschen Sync, La Luz De Jesus, Los Angeles
2020 Head On Collision, Last Projects, Los Angeles
2019 Designercon, La Luz De Jesus, Los Angeles
2019 Smalls To The Walls, Galerie F, Chicago
2019 Triple Threat, Rotofugi Gallery, Chicago
2018 Power Couples, Galerie F, Chicago
2018 Chicago Painting Showcase, Namaste, Los Angeles
2018 McKenzie Family Collaborative, Ampersand, Chicago
2018 Triclops, Standing Passengers, Chicago
2018 Images Now!, Uncle Art Gallery, Chicago
2018 Restless II, Galerie F, Chicago
2018 Fake Holidays, East Room, Chicago
2017 New School Old City, Pilsen Outpost, Chicago
2017 Mac Blackout/Junk Yard duo exhibition, Bustin’ Out, Chicago Truborn, Chicago
2017 Familiar Faces, Galerie F, Chicago
2017 East Room Art Museum, East Room, Chicago
2017 Required Reading, Galerie F, Chicago
2017 Secret Walls Collaborator’s Pop Up Exhibition, Galerie F, Chicago
2016 Enemies, East Room, Chicago
2016 Naked People, Vintage Quest, Chicago
2016 Can I Kick It, Chicago Truborn, Chicago
2016 Hope For The Day, Revolution Brewery, Chicago
2016 Cults, East Room, Chicago
2015 PBR Pop Up Art Show, Canvas Gallery, Chicago
2015 Boundless Brooklyn, Galerie F, Chicago
2015 East Room Art Show #1, East Room, Chicago
2015 Saki Records Records exhibit, Chicago
2015 CIMM Fest HQ group exhibit, Chicago
2015 Telepathic Telephones, Auxiliary Art Center, Chicago
2014 Cantankerous, Gallery Bar, Chicago
2014 Canvas Gallery, Chicago
2013 Tarantisimo Summit Art Show 2, Raven’s Nest, Chicago
2012 Tarantisimo Summit Art Show 1, Reversible Eye, Chicago
2012 Dystopia, Los Manos Gallery, Chicago
2011 Hozac Blackout, HoZac Records, Chicago
2005 You’ve Lost Your Eyes, Congress Theatre, Chicago
1999 Bank One Tower, Indianapolis
Museum Exhibitions
2019 Rocked & Rolled, group exhibition, Illinois State Museum
2017 Toy Box; Inspiration Through Play, group exhibition, Illinois State Museum
Public Community Murals
2019 “Herbie Hancock” Portraits: Chicago Faces, Pilsen, Chicago
2018 Lincoln Hall “Alley of Dreams” Chicago
2018 “Cosmic Creator”, Paint Gary, Gary
2015 Stellar Mural Project, Bedford
2015 606 Trail, Chicago
Selected Private Murals
2020 Interior, “Five Senses” Accenture corporate office, Chicago
2020 Interior, House of Vans, Chicago
2020 Exterior, Secret Walls/Start Los Angeles
2019 Exterior, Momentum Urban Arts Fest
2019 Exterior, “Chicago Faces” Pilsen, Chicago
2019 Interior, Shure corporate office, Chicago
2019 Interior, WNDR museum, Chicago
2019 Exterior, “Cosmic Pop” 2424 N Milwaukee, Chicago
2018 Exterior, “Geometric Giants”, Kankakee
2018 Exterior, Sleeping Village, Chicago
2018 Exterior, Avenue Eyes, Chicago
2018 Interior, Taylor Gourmet, Chicago
2018 Interior, “Green Level”, Chicago
2018 Exterior, “Cosmic Traveler”, SSP Indianapolis
2017 Exterior, “Cosmic Cat”, Uncle Art Gallery, Chicago
2017 Exterior, “Geometric Giants”, Galerie F, Chicago
2017 Exterior, Project Logan, Chicago
2017 Exterior, Reckless Records, Chicago
2016 Exterior storefront mural, Bucket O’ Blood Records, Chicago
2016 Exterior storefront mural, Shake Shop, Chicago
2016 Interior mural, Ground Control, Chicago
2016 Exterior mural, Uncle Art Gallery, Chicago
Notable Commissions
2019 Starbucks Chicago Roastery Collection, Chicago
2019 WNDR Museum installation, Chicago
2019 Sculpture featured in Chance The Rapper “We Go High” official music video, Chicago
2019 “Cosmic Pop” painting commission for Hanig’s Footwear, Chicago
Texts
Mac Blackout (Author), “Madman’s Eye: The Art of Mac Blackout”, HoZac Books, 2017
Dollah, Rodney (Compiler), “New School Old City”, Not My Comix, 2017
Curatorial projects
2018 “Images Now!”, Uncle Art Gallery, Chicago